India, Oct. 19 -- Virat Kohli did not have an ideal return to international cricket as he got out for a duck off the bowling of Mitchell Starc in the first ODI of the three-match series at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Sunday. The right-hander lasted just eight balls in the middle, and his stay was cut short after Kohli went for a big booming drive, only to find the fielder. Before the fixture got underway, Kohli was involved in a chat with broadcasters Adam Gilchrist and Ravi Shastri, and it was then that he all but confirmed his willingness to play the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Heading into the series opener, all the chatter and discourse has been about whether Kohli and Rohit Sharma would make the trip to South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe ...